Monday, November 28, 2011

Don a Frock and Smash a Machine

Flourish and Blume have been venturing into the hardcore DIY scene, yep, we're screen-printing. We've become regular Luddites - you know those funny fellas from the early 1800's, the original hardcore DIYers who wore frocks and smashed the new (at the time) textile looms that did away with the necessity for their skilled labour? Well I tried to write a whole postgrad thesis on this shit, how the relatively recent romance with 'Handmade' had all those associations with socialist ideology from way back - the rights of workers to meaningful labour, the production of local economies and the survival of craft skills in the face of all consuming technology... Am I boring you? Well imagine the horror of trying to fill in the blanks with another 40 000 words? Hence, no letters after my name.

It does sound Utopian though doesn't it - all that handmade labour, and we've had such a great time making this Home Decor and you know you need another cushion for Christmas!

The flying duck design is based on Katie's Nanna's ducks on our wall (chipped wing and head glued on). It's my own drawing and the best thing about technology is that you only need one drawing then you just shrink it down twice on the photocopier and voila, you have three differently scaled, perfectly replicated flying ducks (no machine smashing today). The design was originally called 'Quick Before They Shoot' but then when I stuffed them with 100% duck feather inserts, I realised the implications of the poor wee things not having made it and wondered what kind of sick mind came up with that. The design is now called 'Pillow Stuffers'.

The pig's head design is called 'Who's Your Dirty Pigman' which goes out to all those women who have to live with one.

Anne Leon has been incredible with her expert tutelage and assistance and we've had so much fun working at her fabulous studio in Byron Bay. Thank you Anne!

Colour-ways are as follows: white ducks or charcoal ducks on natural linen (100% european linens all from Thea and Sami); white or charcoal on sage green linen; charcoal pigman on natural or dusky pink linen. Measurements are 60 x 40cm (give or take a couple of cms) for ducks and 40 x 40cm (same) for pigs. Visit our shop at Down That Little Lane.

Email us at: flourishandblume@yahoo.com.au
Our mission is to SAVE THE CHAIRS. We find mid-century furniture locally - on the side of the road, at the tip and at local auctions and restore them to their former glory. We upholster and restore using local, handmade and sustainable materials and fabrics wherever possible.